University of Washington

The University of Washington Information School will investigate ways in which public library staff can gain a better understanding of their local community using open data. By conducting interviews, surveys, and a workshop, the project team will uncover the current barriers among librarians to using open data for planning and decision-making. With a future goal of developing an open source data platform, the university will create a work plan that details use cases, technical requirements, and vetted open data. The study population for this planning grant is primarily public library staff with additional information drawn from staff in supporting organizations (e.g., state library agencies and open data projects).